I am sure that for most people who home-school it has been a choice. Either a life style choice or one made out of circumstance. For us it has definitely been the latter. After a week of teaching two children at home – who are at vastly different stages academically – I have a new found respect to all educators – whether it be teacher at school or parents at home teaching their own children.

I have to admit that this is not what I would have chosen for Alice or Lauren, but here we are in this situation and we have to make the best of it – for all our sakes.

Alice is getting fours hours of formal teaching in English and Maths with two tutors – provided and paid for by the Local Education Authorities (LEA) Home Tutoring Service. Whilst she has a school place at a local primary school, until they can take her (pending employing a teaching assistant and upgrading their disabled toilet) she is officially ‘missing from education’. This according to the Local Education Authority is perfectly okay.

On the other hand, Lauren does not qualify for any home tutoring from the LEA, and the fact that she is not in school despite us having an appeal in process is not okay! Talk about double standards. I would have assumed a Looked After Child with both physical and learning difficulties would also not be okay to be out of education!!

So I have embarked on the world of home education. Definitely feels like I am winging it! I have managed to borrow a few books from Lauren’s old school, and purchased a few Carol Vorderman Books on-line. After three days of feeling like i was going to explode, I think I have managed to get into a good rhythm. I soon realised it was impossible to teach them both different things at the same time. Alice is completely incapable of doing anything by herself without being prompted or having an inner monologue. She also doesn’t like anyone else having any attention – so trying to do anything with Lauren was impossible. Instead I work with Lauren while Alice plays and then I work with Alice while Lauren has a break.

I am pretty sure that I am not covering half of what I should. But I refuse to feel guilty about this. I have not chosen this situation, and I know I am doing a good enough job!